In this astonishing program filled with innovative photography and scientific revelation, we investigate how our favorite pets get in touch with their wild side through play. From talkative budgies, marathon-running hamsters, wall-climbing cats and diving dogs, as well as an island where rabbits rule and a city where dogs live a secret double life – discover how our pets’ playful games are just a whisker away from the wild.

In a program packed with incredible filming techniques, from Schlieren photography that makes smells visible, to moving X-rays, ultra slow-motion, and ultraviolet vision as well as HD horsecams and doggycams, discover how our pets experience the world through their astonishing senses and hidden channels of communication. This episode includes the sensory secrets of budgies, horses, guinea pigs and goldfish as well as the remarkable abilities of hamsters, cats and dogs.

Tom Xia emigrated from mainland China to California at age eight. A series of Chinese toy recalls forces Xia’s neighbors, the Joneses, to have their son tested for lead poisoning. With China’s assent to world superpower status heating up American fears, Xia challenges the Joneses to make it through the Christmas season without any Chinese products, beginning a journey to find American identity amongst all the American media hype, Chinese nationalist propaganda and cultural misunderstandings.

The honey badger is a relentless, fearless, little creature renowned for its ability to confront grown lions, castrate charging buffalo, and shrug off the toxic defenses of stinging bees, scorpions, and snakes. Little is known about its behavior in the wild or why it is so aggressive. This film follows three badger specialists in South Africa who take on these masters of mayhem in ways that must be seen to be believed.

Beneath the streets of Rome lies an ancient city of the dead known as the Catacombs — a labyrinth of tunnels, hundreds of miles long, lined with tombs. Now, NOVA goes inside a previously-unknown complex within the tunnel system: a mysterious mass grave, locked away for nearly 2000 years. NOVA’s forensic investigation opens up fascinating new insights into the daily life and health of Roman citizens at the heyday of its mighty empire.

Craft in America Celebration airs Wednesday, December 16 at 9 p.m.
This new episode explores craft artists, objects and traditions of various holidays, featuring Lion Dancers and float builders of San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade, ceramic artists in Detroit making festive pieces, Kwanzaa celebrations in Chicago and Oakland, and woodblock Christmas cards made by Yoshiko Yamamoto in Washington state.

Daytripper Grapevine, Tx airs Thursday, December 17 at 8:30 p.m.
Chet heads to Grapevine, the “Christmas Capital of Texas” to catch the spirit of the season. He visits Main Street to eat at a French bakery, tours a winery, sees amazing sculptures of ice at the Gaylord Texan, and finishes it off on the historic railroad bound for the North Pole.

Lidia Celebrates America Home For The Holidays airs Saturday, December 19 at 4:30 p.m.
It’s the premiere of “Home for the Holidays.” This new program is the fifth in the Lidia Celebrates America series with beloved PBS host Lidia Bastianich. The program celebrates holiday traditions told through the voices of six celebrity guests: Rita Moreno, Christopher Walken, Ann Curry, Padma Lakshmi, Marcus Samuelsson and Carlo Ponti Jr. The deeply personal stories of each individual’s journey to and in America are all set against a backdrop in which they share a deliciously diverse Christmas dinner at Lidia’s home.

Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring Santino Fontana and the Sesame Street Muppets airs Monday, December 21 at 8 p.m. and repeats Thursday, December 24 at 8 p.m.
Four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and veteran movie and television star Peter Graves join the renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square in the premiere of an annual holiday concert that this year includes African-American spirituals and a medley of contemporary favorites. Celebrate the holidays with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from Salt Lake City with guests Santino Fontana, the voice of Hans from the Disney movie “Frozen” and the Muppets from Sesame Street.

It’s the premiere of Christmas at Belmont 2015, an annual Belmont University tradition celebrating the holiday season and the musical diversity and rich talent of the university’s School of Music. The concert features Kathy Mattea and more than 400 student voices joining with School of Music faculty to present the annual holiday production.

Happy Holidays: The Best of the Andy Christmas Shows airs Tuesday, December 22 at 7 p.m.
Happy Holidays: The Best of the Andy Williams Christmas Shows features classic clips from beloved singer and television personality Andy Williams’ Christmas specials. The digitally re-mastered production numbers are complete with magnificent sets and costumes and a cast of singers, dancers and skaters. Quintessential moments include Williams’ solos on “Silent Night” and “Ave Maria,” as well as ensemles with his brothers on “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and with the Osmonds on “Silver Bells.” Interviews with Williams, his son Bobby and Donny Osmond are interwoven with the clips.

Nature Magic of the Snowy Owl airs Wednesday, December 23 at 7 p.m.
Nature explores the world of the snowy owl, a bird recently made popular by Hedwig, Harry Potter’s faithful companion. Turning fantasy into reality, “Magic of the Snowy Owl” takes an intimate look at how these majestic birds survive in one of the most isolated and inhospitable places on the planet. Noted wildlife filmmaker Fergus Beeley (“Jungle Eagle”) takes viewers deep into the “snowy’s” tundra home on the North Slope of Alaska to observe the daily struggles involved in raising a family of helpless chicks until they are able to fly. Viewers will discover that these strikingly beautiful Arctic owls – essentially eagles, falcons and owls rolled into one – have a magic of their own.

Call the Midwife Holiday Special airs Friday, December 25 at 8 p.m.
Haul out the holly and celebrate a new Call the Midwife Holiday Special, premiering on Christmas night. Join the revels as Poplar readies itself for Christmas 1960. An unexpected surprise for a grieving mother brings the holiday magic home, while Nonnatus is rocked when one of its own disappears. A film crew promises to make this a memorable Christmas. This is the same date that the BBC1 will premiere the special in the UK!

Vicious Holiday Special airs Friday, December 25 at 9:30 p.m.
Vicious encores “Holiday Special.” Freddie (Ian McKellen) and Stuart (Derek Jacobi) host a holiday soiree in their small central London flat. Ash (Iwan Rheon), their young upstairs neighbor, has volunteered to cook the meal, their feisty best friend Violet (Frances de la Tour) is up to her old tricks, and a wicked game of “Truth or Dare” brings up hidden truths – and surprises as well.

Nature Animal Misfits airs Wednesday, December 30 at 7 p.m.
Life on earth is incredibly diverse, but it’s not always what you might expect. Alongside the fastest, strongest, smartest animals are nature’s misfits. These odd, bizarre and unlikely creatures at first glance seem ill-equipped for survival. Left at the starting line in the race for life, these are the apparent losers in the story of evolution, yet somehow they still manage to cling to life and in some cases even thrive. “Animal Misfits” reveals some surprising details about how evolution really works, demonstrating that all animals are remarkably well-adapted to their chosen way of life.

KLRU chooses three programs each month for your family to enjoy and view together. In August 2014, we have the following lined up:

Wednesday, August 6, 7pm: The My Wild Affair series continues in August with “The Seal Who Came Home.” The true story of Andre, a two-day-old wild harbor seal who, in 1961, was rescued from certain death by Harry Goodridge, an arborist from Rockport, Maine. Over the next 25 years, Andre and Harry established a friendship that brought Andre into the world of humans without Andre’s ever having to sacrifice his wildness. The human world gave Andre shelter during the harsh New England winter, but staying wild at heart meant Andre had the know-how to make the 200-mile swim home to Rockport. This interspecies friendship weathered every kind of challenge, including, at the end, Andre’s blindness.

Wednesday, August 13, 7pm: NATURE’s Snow Monkeys. We are bringing this very popular episode back in the heat of summer to give us all a break and remind us that the cold weather brings challenges, too.

Wednesday, August 20, 7pm:My Wild Affairwraps up with an overview of the extraordinary stories and connections between undomesticated animals and human beings.

The African Americans: Many Rivers To CrossTuesdays, November 5, 12, 19 & 26 at 7pm(series repeats Sundays at 2:30pm)
This series chronicles the full sweep of African American history, from the origins of slavery on the African continent through five centuries of historic events right up to present day — when America has a black President, yet remains a nation deeply divided by race. It explores the origins of the people from Africa whose enslavement led to the creation of the African American people, as well as the multiplicity of cultural institutions, political strategies, and religious and social perspectives that African Americans have developed against unimaginable odds. All of these elements define black culture and society in its extraordinarily rich and compelling diversity from slavery to freedom, from the plantation to the White House. Hosted by Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and drawing on some of America’s top historians and heretofore untapped primary sources, the series guides viewers on a journey across 500 years and two continents to shed new light on the experience of being an African American.

NATURE’S “Parrot Confidential”Wednesday, November 13 at 7pm
Meet Lou. Abandoned in a foreclosed home, Lou is one of thousands of parrots in need of rescue. From the wilds of Costa Rica to suburban America, a loveable, quirky cast of parrots reveal their unforgettable tales and the bittersweet world they share with humans. Their outrageous intelligence and uncanny ability to communicate in any language has made parrots one of the world’s most popular pets. But unlike dogs and cats, parrots have not been domesticated. Hard wired for the wild, their ear-shattering squawks and unpredictable behavior are designed for the rain forest, not the suburbs. Add a lifespan of 50 plus years to their intense need to bond and a life in captivity often ends in disaster. With shelters and sanctuaries bursting at the seams, too many birds like Lou have no place to go.

NATURE’s Thanksgiving Eve broadcast
Wednesday, November 27, from 7-10pm“My Life as a Turkey”at 7pm
Based on the true story of writer and naturalist Joe Hutto, portrayed by wildlife photographer Jeff Palmer, this film chronicles Hutto’s remarkable experience of imprinting wild turkey eggs and raising the hatchlings to adulthood. Deep in the wilds of Florida, Hutto spent each day out and about as a “wild turkey” with his family of chicks — until the day came when he had to let his children grow up and go off on their own. As it turned out, this was harder than he ever imagined. Hutto’s story also became a book, “Illumination in the Flatlands.”“An Original DUCKumentary” at 8pm
Ducks fly through the air on short stubby wings — traveling in large, energy-efficient formations over thousands of miles. There are some 150 species of them, representing a wide variety of shapes, sizes and behaviors. Some are noisy and gregarious, others shy and elusive. They are familiar animals we think we know. But most of us don’t really know these phenomenal, sophisticated creatures at all. This program follows a wood duck family as a male and female create a bond, migrate together across thousands of miles, nurture and protect a brood of chicks, then come full circle as they head to their wintering grounds. “The Private Life of Deer” at 9pmFrom coast to coast, some 30 million white-tailed deer make their home in the United States. Deer are the most highly studied mammals in the world, but does the typical homeowner with deer in the yard know how long deer can live? When they sleep? How many babies a doe can have each year? Enter the hidden world of white-tailed deer outfitted with night-vision cameras and GPS tracking equipment to see them not as common backyard creatures, but as intelligent, affectionate family members.

Each month, KLRU chooses a program for your family to enjoy together. This month’s Family Choice program is Nova‘s “Building Pharaohs Chariot“ where it captures over 60 years of remastered sequences in a series of three episodes.

Airs Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 8 pm

Around 3,600 years ago, reliefs in Egyptian tombs and temples depicted pharaohs and warriors proudly riding into battle on horse-drawn chariots. Some historians claim that the chariot launched a technological and strategic revolution, and was the secret weapon behind Egypt’s greatest era of conquest known as the New Kingdom. But was the Egyptian chariot really a revolutionary design? How decisive a role did it play in the bloody battles of the ancient world? In this film, a team of archaeologists, engineers, woodworkers and horse trainers join forces to build and test two highly accurate replicas of Egyptian royal chariots. They discover astonishingly advanced features, including spoked wheels, springs, shock absorbers, anti-roll bars and even a convex shaped rear mirror, leading one of them to compare the level of design to the engineering standards of 1930’s-era Buicks! By driving our pair of replicas to their limits in the desert outside Cairo, NOVA’s experts test the claim that the chariot marks a crucial turning point in ancient military history.

Each month, KLRU chooses a program for your family to enjoy together. This month’s Family Choice program, Nature #2610 “Frogs: The Thin Green Line”, explores why frogs are disappearing around the world.

It is the greatest mass extinction since the dinosaurs. Population by population, species by species, amphibians are vanishing off the face of the Earth. Despite international alarm and scientists scrambling for answers, the steady hemorrhaging of amphibians continues like a leaky faucet that cannot be fixed or a wound that will not heal. Large-scale die-offs of frogs around the world have prompted scientists to take desperate measures to try to save those they can.

Each month, KLRU chooses a program for your family to enjoy together. This month’s Family Choice program is: Lords of the Gourd: The Pursuit of Excellence.

Sunday, October 30. 4-5 a.m. and 6-7 p.m.

The extreme gardeners who compete at the annual Cooperstown Weigh Off have one obsessive goal — to raise the biggest giant pumpkin in the world. These gurus of the gourd nurture their fruits through harsh weather, floods, animal attacks and even sabotage to produce glorious pumpkins of gigantic proportion. This program follows Joe Pukos and his fellow competitors through the final harrowing days of harvest and the journey across New York State with the bulging behemoths strapped into the backs of their pick-ups. Joe is a real contender — at least until last minute rumors circulate that another grower may be set to smash the world record.

Each month, KLRU chooses a program for your family to enjoy together. This month’s Family Choice program is:
Nature “Underdogs”
Sunday, June 5, at 7 p.m.

Two pure-bred dogs are selected from animal shelters and adoption centers in
the U.S. and England — a Bearded Collie (sheep herding) and a Bloodhound (scent tracking). With the help of trainers, they are each taught to hone their skills as working dogs, then tested, to judge their success. By the end of the film each dog will have a new home.

Each month, KLRU chooses a program for your family to enjoy together. This month’s Family Choice program is:Secrets of the Dead “Silver Pharaoh”
Wednesday, May 18, 7 p.m.

The royal tomb of Pharaoh Psusennes I is one of the most spectacular of all the ancient Egyptian treasures – even more remarkable than that of Tutankhamen. So why hasn’t the world heard about it? What mysteries does it contain? And what does it reveal about ancient Egypt? The tomb was discovered filled with lavish jewels and treasure almost by accident in 1939 by the French archaeologist Pierre Montet while he was excavating in northern Egypt..The royal burial chamber came as a complete surprise no Egyptologist had anticipated a tomb of such grandeur in this area. Unfortunately, the tomb was found on the eve of World War II in Europe and attracted little attention. One of the most startling discoveries inside the tomb was the sarcophagus in which the body was held: It was made of silver with exquisite detail and craftsmanship. No other silver sarcophagus has ever been found and it is now recognized by many Egyptologists as one of the most exquisite artifacts of ancient Egypt ever to be found. The elaborate tribute within the tomb suggested it was the burial site of someone very important but as archaeologists, using the hieroglyphs inside the tomb, pieced together the identity of the pharaoh, they were left to wonder who Psuesennes I was and why he received such grand treatment. The investigation reveals political intrigue, a lost city and a leader who united a country in turmoil and became the Silver Pharaoh.

Each month, KLRU chooses a program for your family to enjoy together. This month’s Family Choice program is:

Backyard ButterfliesSunday, April 3rd at 6 p.m.

This program features fun facts about these delicate, spry creatures and demonstrates how to successfully create a garden that attracts them. Viewers also learn how to identify common butterflies, select favorite butterfly plants and how to catch and raise a butterfly indoors. Watch the life cycle crom caterpillar to butterfly to know hat’s eating your garden up. Along with ideas for a habitat-friendly garden, see how to catch a butterfly on your finger and raise a butte fly yourself for a close-up look at nature’s wonder. Marla Bean hosts .
Repeats:
Sunday, April 17, 4:30-5 p.m.

Without a second thought, most people squash or spray all insects that fly, flit or stroll through their yards. However, BACKYARD BUGS, reveals why some bugs may actually be beneficial to have around. The 30-minute program steps out the backdoor to help you determine if a garden insect is friend or foe.

NATURE: Oceans in Glass
Behind the Scenes of the Monterey Bay Aquarium

7-8 p.m., Sunday, July 25th

Thanks to its realistic presentations, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is recognized as one of the most significant and spectacular aquariums in the world. Instead of exhibiting collections of animals, the aquarium presents entire habitats, virtual slices of ocean that include 30,000 animals and plants. But how does an aquarium work? What’s the science behind the magic? Each of the animals here has a story to tell, but of all the animals to be seen here, there is one animal in particular whose presence is drawing world-wide attention — a great white shark.